MSE News: Anglian Water SoLow customer? It's axing the tariff meaning bill hikes

Ken68

Letter in my local paper mentioning the increase in SoLow tariff.
Quote "as water is a precious resource, I diligently adhered to all Anglian Water's advice, the Love Every Drop campaign etc, now apparently users on this tariff are not using enough water"
The letter ends with "I shall now be voting for the Green Party."

romalind

I am surprised -- actually I'm astonished -- that so many people buy into this nonsense that SoLow customers are subsidized by people on the standard tariff. If you go into a supermarket you don't pay a standing charge to cover the costs of the building and the warehousing and the checkout staff; the supermarket recovers those costs from what it charges for the products it sells. You pay for what you take out of the store and that's it. With the SoLow tariff, it's the same: you pay for what you use. SoLow customers are not subsidized any more than supermarket customers are. What a standing charge actually means is that you're paying for water whether you use it or not. In other words, it's a rip-off. Anglian Water supply water in a dry part of the country. They claim they want to encourage water saving. SoLow encourages that. Everybody should be on this tariff. That would be fair: no subsidies, no rip-offs. A standing charge reduces the incentive to save water. It's counterproductive (except for Anglian Water's profits) and hypocritical.

Cardew

romalind wrote: »

I am surprised -- actually I'm astonished -- that so many people buy into this nonsense that SoLow customers are subsidized by people on the standard tariff. If you go into a supermarket you don't pay a standing charge to cover the costs of the building and the warehousing and the checkout staff; the supermarket recovers those costs from what it charges for the products it sells. You pay for what you take out of the store and that's it. With the SoLow tariff, it's the same: you pay for what you use. SoLow customers are not subsidized any more than supermarket customers are. What a standing charge actually means is that you're paying for water whether you use it or not. In other words, it's a rip-off. Anglian Water supply water in a dry part of the country. They claim they want to encourage water saving. SoLow encourages that. Everybody should be on this tariff. That would be fair: no subsidies, no rip-offs. A standing charge reduces the incentive to save water. It's counterproductive (except for Anglian Water's profits) and hypocritical.

Welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately you are wrong about the SoLow tariff not being subsidised, the simple fact is that the tariff is subsidised by other users.

The move by Anglian will see SoLow customers pay a subsidised standing charge for three years from 1 April.

You are also wrong about phasing out the SoLow tariff being an instrument to increase Anglian’s profits.

Like all water companies, Anglian’s revenue and hence profit is controlled by the Regulator Ofwat as laid down in The Water Act. Thus the phasing out of the SoLow tariff is cost neutral to Anglian. Like any commercial company if Anglian could increase their profit from such a move, they wouldn’t hesitate; but they can’t because of the restrictions placed upon them by Ofwat.

There is no point in comparing a water company to a Supermarket. Water companies provide a service and in that sense are no different to most gas/electricity/telephone companies who also have a Standing Charge/Rental. Try telling a telephone company that you only make one call a week and should not pay line rental, but just for that call.;)

If your contention is that there should be no standing charge and everyone pays for the water they use, then you need to persuade our political masters to change the provisions of the Water Act. Those with seldom occupied holiday homes would love your suggestion! It wouldn’t matter one iota to the water companies as they would still raise exactly the same revenue and make the same profit.

However families with children would heartily disagree when their metered charges increased massively. They would argue that the cost of the water/sewerage infrastructure should be borne by all water customers. That family could be more frugal with water use per head than a one or two occupant household.

misty_blue_2

Just had phone call from C.a.b for phone interview regarding L.I.T.E tariff
Arranged for tomorrow at 4 pm

Will update then

misty_blue_2

misty_blue wrote: »

Just had phone call from C.a.b for phone interview regarding L.I.T.E tariff
Arranged for tomorrow at 4 pm

Will update then

well they have phoned me and cancelled phone appointment until next tuesday as no one is available for some reason :mad:

Sorry will have to update you then

glennamy

Jerry_Mander wrote: »

Got a call from Anglian Water yesterday. The lass went through my bills and income and concluded that I was eligible for the full 80% discount on my whole bill. Apparently it varies from 20 - 80% depending on your circumstances. I'll take it I said!

So my yearly bill will now be £27 with the discount based on past use down from £40! Mind, I haven't finalised it yet because the CAB have to phone me for the final details and they could reject me or reduce the discount.

Fingers crossed.

After the incoming/outgoing question call from AW I was told that based on my circumstances (only get sickness income) versus my outgoings that I should qualify for the 80% discount...

Just had my CAB call today and the questions they ask are ONLY 2 for outgoings (mortgage/rent & council tax) not the numerous ones asked by AW for referral. I no longer qualify for ANY discount whatsoever and recommended by the CAB to go onto the standard rate which costs even more!!!

Called AW, they said they do not set the questions for the CAB to ask, (this is a lie, the questions were agreed & set between AW & CAB - told this by CAB) and I told them that the questions for CAB are less/different to theirs, they said there is nothing they can do...

They are tricking people into thinking that you will get a discount on the AW criteria, but it is worked out on the AW/CAB agreed criteria!...

I have raised a complaint pointing out their AW/CAB criteria anomaly/error. I will give you an update - if I get one that is!

TOTAL CON JOB!

misty_blue_2

misty_blue wrote: »

well they have phoned me and cancelled phone appointment until next tuesday as no one is available for some reason :mad:

Sorry will have to update you then

Well have had my call from cab been told not entitled to l.I.t.e tariff and the standard rate was the best for me.

Just like the previous poster only questions about out goings were rent and council tax was then advised to ring Anglian water which I did and there answer was the same, that the standard tariff was the only choice.

When I enquired just who will be entitled to the new l.I.t.e tariff got no answer and they wished me a good day and call ended.

Complete waste of time and feel like this is one big con

Very miffed at Anglican water and cab because they tell you one thing then when you get your cab interview they tell you a different story:mad:

Jerry_Mander

misty_blue wrote: »

Very miffed at Anglican water and cab because they tell you one thing then when you get your cab interview they tell you a different story:mad:

Sounds like the sort of consumer problem you should take to the CAB...oh, wait...

Katiehound

Just to say I have received absolutely no communication from AW re Solow tariff......suppose they are going to tell me......one day!

Ken68

Lost cause, Katie.
Can't see any Anglian water enterprises I can boycott, so time to move on. Maybe recover extra costs by cuts elsewhere, like groceries, energy.